iPad Pro Known Problem? Screen stops responding

[icymountain]

When you observe the screen is unresponsive, is it unresponsive to fingers or pencil or both ?
What I observed is that, in my case, the issue was just with my fingers, and that the screen did not seem to get unresponsive to the pencil commands. It would be interesting to know if it is the same for you or if, in your case, it gets unresponsive both to touch and pencil.

 

[spacebro]

When you observe the screen is unresponsive, is it unresponsive to fingers or pencil or both ?
What I observed is that, in my case, the issue was just with my fingers, and that the screen did not seem to get unresponsive to the pencil commands. It would be interesting to know if it is the same for you or if, in your case, it gets unresponsive both to touch and pencil.

When the touchscreen becomes unresponsive, the pencil still works every time I have tried it.

 

[DragonX]

For me it's both the pencil and the finger. I draw on my iPad Pro from time to time and when I use painting application like Procreate then it cannot zoom with fingers and also cannot access menus with the pencil.

Also it seems it doesn't matter if the pencil is connected, or disconnected or away. I tried to turn the Bluetooth off and it didn't make a difference.

 

[ThrowerGB]

I've had a similar problem with both an iPhone 8 Plus and an iPad Pro 9.7". I think it may have started when I upgraded to iOS 12.0 or 12.1.
Whenever it happens it seems as though the device is doing something with its internet comms like downloading email or searching for a WiFi connection. The symptoms are the same as have been described in this thread. The screen appears to freeze for different amounts of time from very briefly (a second or so) to maybe 10-20 sec. Sometimes it's so annoying I reboot or do something else drastic. I'll have to try changing the screen orientation as described above.

 

[bcl74]

This issue is driving me crazy- I feel it is likely software related. I bought a 3rd gen 12.9 IPP at launch and took it in to apple because of this issue early this month. The replacement IPP started having the same issue about a week after I made the switch. I even set up the second iPad as a completely new iPad. I am starting to lean towards not using the iPad for a while in the hopes that this gets sorted through firmware....

 

[tps3443]

Lol. I was just in my way to the Apple store to play around with the iPad Pro and decide between the 11 and 12.9” and came across this thread.

Stopped my purchase in its tracks.

Can’t be dealing with this on top of potential bend risks too.

Wow seriously?

I sold my IPad Pro 11” model which had almost untraceable touch symptoms, and spent more money on a 1TB 11” model. I just wanted more storage.

I must be seriously dumb then lol.

The iPad that’s on the way now will be my #third iPad Pro 2018 that isn’t bent lol.

Just a heads up, you should take some of the posts online with a grain of salt.

Did you realize that every screen protector made for the new iPads causes touch problems? The newest iPad Pro is also very thin, so a lot of the bending is user error too, or someone buying a used product already like that.

So, the very small percentage of actual legitimate touch issues and bending issues that do occur get mixed in with the rest. And it may seem like these are common problems, but they are not very common at all.

So, in the end

Your just left with a device that isn’t compatible with screen protectors, and its thinner than any apple phone or tablet ever released before.

You could go buy one now, and chances are it’d be fine

 

[Neonblue]

Happened to me earlier this week on my 3rd gen 12.9, the screen went glitchy a few seconds then froze. My only option was to restart the iPad. Thankfully it’s only happened once so far.

 

[DragonX]

This issue is driving me crazy- I feel it is likely software related. I bought a 3rd gen 12.9 IPP at launch and took it in to apple because of this issue early this month. The replacement IPP started having the same issue about a week after I made the switch. I even set up the second iPad as a completely new iPad. I am starting to lean towards not using the iPad for a while in the hopes that this gets sorted through firmware....

I was believing it's software as well. And I've been waiting and living with this issue for around 8 months already. Nothing changed. Also if you try to read all the threads on the issue, it doesn't look like software in the end:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/irresponsive-screen-ipad-pro-12-9-2nd-gen.2121051/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2016-ipad-pro-12-9-screen-intermittently-unresponsive.2118824/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-9-ipad-pro-gen-3-touchscreen-problem.2154220/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-stuttering-issue-now-more-widespread.2165593/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/missing-keystrokes.2166241/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/10-5-pro-with-unresponsive-screen.2170164/

One theory is that screen gets disconnected from the motherboard due to the battery getting expanded over time.

 

[tps3443]

I was believing it's software as well. And I've been waiting and living with this issue for around 8 months already. Nothing changed. Also if you try to read all the threads on the issue, it doesn't look like software in the end:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/irresponsive-screen-ipad-pro-12-9-2nd-gen.2121051/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/2016-ipad-pro-12-9-screen-intermittently-unresponsive.2118824/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-9-ipad-pro-gen-3-touchscreen-problem.2154220/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipad-pro-stuttering-issue-now-more-widespread.2165593/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/missing-keystrokes.2166241/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/10-5-pro-with-unresponsive-screen.2170164/

One theory is that screen gets disconnected from the motherboard due to the battery getting expanded over time.

lipo batteries do puff over time, but that wouldn’t exactly explain the occurring problems on a gen 3 iPad Pro that is nearly new.

Although, you can easily repair a swelling lipo battery. It is gasses trapped inside the plastic of the lipo. If you puncture a tiny hole in the “plastic only” being very careful, it will allow the gas to escape and it will not swell anymore, as the battery has almost like a purge hole lol.

I’ve done this several times to very high voltage lithium polymer batteries in the past. And it has added an entire life cycle on top of the time I’ve already had the battery.

It works! The iPad batteries are just a 1S lipo, so it’s pretty straight forward.

 

[jonsk]

I don’t know if the problem shown in the photos below is the same with other users but nothing seems to work, I have tried hard reset, factory rest but the problem persists.

 

[muzzy996]

I don’t know if the problem shown in the photos below is the same with other users but nothing seems to work, I have tried hard reset, factory rest but the problem persists.

Doubt it. I believe what others are referring to is not isolated to a particular part of the display but a wholesale pause in response to touch virtually anywhere on the screen for several seconds or more.

On my gen 2 12.9 I feel as though pull down of notification shade and control center will still work more often than not while the problem with other touch input persists throughout the pause.

 

[mrex]

Yeah! Same on my side, it did definitely start with iOS 12. But the fact that the problem doesn't go away even after a hard reset and some people experience it and some don't makes me think it's a hardware issue that develops over time and iOS 12 update is coincidental.

It is coincidental. I have ipp 2017 and the issue was already there with ios11.

Sometimes it is bad, sometimes worse and sometimes it is working great.

More or less i see the problem when the battery capacity is around 30-70% and especially when charging.

 

[LibbyLA]

I have the problem with my iPad Mini 4. I don’t think it’s specific to the Pros or to the 11”.

 

[Timbo69]

Yep, I have the same problem with my 2018 iPad Pro. My first gen pro did the same thing and assumed the screen was dying after 3 years but this is two months old. Reset works for a bit and then it comes back.

 

[Codeseven]

Yep, I have the same problem with my 2018 iPad Pro. My first gen pro did the same thing and assumed the screen was dying after 3 years but this is two months old. Reset works for a bit and then it comes back.

Software vs Hardware problem.

I don’t know but, hardware does not fix itself, once it’s broke, it’s broke. It can’t magically fix itself. The only variable in hardware is heat, in which initially all works fine until components get hot then begin to fail.

Software on the other hand can easily go from working great to being nonfunctional, for instance when an ’Update’ is applied.

Dunno

 

[JoeTomasone]

I have the same problem as well. I believe it to be software, as it can be fixed temporarily by locking and unlocking the iPad - which is annoying but at least gets me back to work. Apple suggested resetting the network settings (stupidest idea ever) and a full reset.

 

[Newtons Apple]

My 11” screen will freeze for a few seconds now and then. Mostly in Safari.

Not enough to return as it is perfect other than that.

Hopefully it is a software thing.

 

[Ner000]

Unfortunately sometimes they replace it with an iPad with the same touch problem (happened to me). So be careful! Also if it's outside warranty period they won't replace it at all (touch problem is still not officially admitted by Apple).

This is what happened to me. I’m using an iPad Pro Gen2. I had it exchanged a few months ago for a new set. Problem slowly crept up and eventually the screen freeze happened so often I had to exchange it again. About a month+, my current one is having the same issue again. It started out fine, I could charge and play at the same time. 2 weeks later when I charged the iPad, the freeze would happen intermittently, it went away when I disconnected the charging cable. After another 3 weeks or so, the freeze occurs and wouldn’t go away even after I disconnect the charging cable. I have to restart for the iPad to work. That’s exactly what happened the previous times. I appreciate the 1to1 exchange from apple but I can’t be wasting so much downtime in this.

 

[kazmac]

I hope you got those returned and exchanged guys.

Every iPad I’ve bought since 2017 has shown up with this (2017 12.9”, two 2017 10.5’s, a 2019 Mini and now mom’s 2018 iPad (which may also have a home button failing on top of the touch irresponsiveness.)

I have no idea what to do about this, as I love drawing on the iPads, and am so tired of exchanging or losing money on them (I lost $1k on the 2017 iPP as Apple wouldn’t replace it. I returned the 10.5s and the Mini as the issues popped up within the return window).

I guess I’ll go ahead with moving to traditional drawing for awhile, buying a new Mac, and then replacing mom’s iPad.

I am so tempted to run to Best Buy and pick up something, but it’s almost a given there will be a hardware issue at some point. I need to start filming these issues.

Just gutted.

All I want is an iPad I can use Procreate on...

I hope you and everyone else gets them replaced. That is the thing to do... to show Apple there are issues they need to be working on.

 

[jimmy_uk]

lipo batteries do puff over time, but that wouldn’t exactly explain the occurring problems on a gen 3 iPad Pro that is nearly new.

Although, you can easily repair a swelling lipo battery. It is gasses trapped inside the plastic of the lipo. If you puncture a tiny hole in the “plastic only” being very careful, it will allow the gas to escape and it will not swell anymore, as the battery has almost like a purge hole lol.

I’ve done this several times to very high voltage lithium polymer batteries in the past. And it has added an entire life cycle on top of the time I’ve already had the battery.

It works! The iPad batteries are just a 1S lipo, so it’s pretty straight forward.

You shouldn't be encouraging people to pierce their battery let alone open the device. Most will not know what they are doing and it will be potentially dangerous.

 

[Lacedup17]

Somewhat good news is this is software, not hardware. The screen is still responsive, the iOS interface is”freezing”. To test add a virtual home button https://www.imore.com/how-remedy-bad-home-button-or-power-button-iphone-using-assistive-touch


When the screen is unresponsive, press it, it will still work

 

[Otflyer]

You shouldn't be encouraging people to pierce their battery let alone open the device. Most will not know what they are doing and it will be potentially dangerous.

Absolutely. Lithium batteries can go up in flame if punctured.

 

[DragonX]

Somewhat good news is this is software, not hardware. The screen is still responsive, the iOS interface is”freezing”. To test add a virtual home button https://www.imore.com/how-remedy-bad-home-button-or-power-button-iphone-using-assistive-touch


When the screen is unresponsive, press it, it will still work

Never worked for me. Screen doesn't work when unresponsive, like at all. I tried playing with all the settings including Accessibility and Connections - all of them. Also if you read numerous threads here on this problem and also see stats on ifixit in the long run settings don't fix anything, unfortunately.

 

[muzzy996]

Never worked for me. Screen doesn't work when unresponsive, like at all. I tried playing with all the settings including Accessibility and Connections - all of them. Also if you read numerous threads here on this problem and also see stats on ifixit in the long run settings don't fix anything, unfortunately.

Yeah just started messing around with it this morning and while watching YouTube whenever sensitivity stops working the assistive touch button fails to respond for me as well.

 

[MP55]

Suspecting a "static" problem (it happens only in certain positions with the case on, the iPad sitting on my belly at bed - huge static...mass proximity that can "confuse" any touch on the screen) exacerbated by the latest sw releases (different screen responsiveness?) I have tried to fold an aluminium foil and to put the resulting thin strip between the case and the iPad back in such a way that a small portion of it comes out from the left side and I can hold the iPad touching it with a finger.
In fact there are reports that holding the iPad without the case (touching the bare metal of the back) can ease the problem.
Since then no more lag, no more missing letters while typing.
For now...